Thursday 16 July 2026
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth – Ps 101(102):13-21. Matthew 11:28-30.
My yoke is easy; my burden light
As a carpenter, Jesus would have been familiar with making yokes for oxen. Made to measure, a yoke can enable a team of oxen to work comfortably as a team despite heavy loads. On the other hand, a poorly made yoke places an uneven burden on the team and can do them harm.
Jesus does not promise us a life without its burdens. Elsewhere he speaks of taking up our cross daily. Nevertheless, the yoke Jesus offers us is a tailor-made fit, which binds us to him and enables us to share our loads with him. Through the operation of grace in our lives, even the heaviest burdens can become light, and grace can enable us to help others to lighten their burdens.
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